Gingrich 2012?

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, whose signature manifesto swept Republicans to power in the mid-1990s, called Wednesday for conservatives to recruit Democrats who oppose tax increases and big government and form a coalition to do battle with President Obama's "fantasy wing of the American left."

Mr. Gingrich in an interview pointedly left the door wide open for a 2012 run for the White House, proposing a specific prescription for the ailing conservative wing of the Republican Party. He offered stark alternatives to the Obama agenda on health care, spending, education and national security that could build a framework for what he called a "potential" run for the presidency.

"If you look at California on the recent vote against raising taxes or spending, when you get 64 percent of the state voting with you, it tells you that in the most Democratic districts of the state, there was a solid majority against raising taxes and spending," Mr. Gingrich told editors and reporters at The Washington Times.

"So I would urge, for example, conservatives in California to find a Democrat to run in every Assembly and Senate seat in California that can't be contested by Republicans, and then to run a Republican in every seat they could possibly win, and then have an overt goal of creating a bipartisan conservative coalition," he said. "I'd do the same thing nationally."

He said Republicans need to broaden their base to all conservatives, especially in light of a Gallup Poll this month that found 40 percent of Americans describe their political views as conservative, 35 percent as moderate, and just 21 percent as liberal.

"You need to have a national movement that focuses not on the presidency. It focuses on 513,000 elected offices, because this is a very densely, freely elected society, and you can't get the changes just from the top," he said. Then, he added, build a "tri-partisan" coalition of conservatives, independents and even moderate liberals - "a red, white and blue majority."

To the Republican National Committee chairman, Mr. Gingrich delivered the same directive.

"I would say to Michael Steele and others, 'The first duty is, for the next eight months, don't worry about the message, worry about recruitment.' A rising tide only lifts the boats that are in the water. ... Barring some extraordinary change in the economy, we're going to have a relatively good election in 2010 because high taxes, big government [and] politically corrupt systems don't lead to economic growth," he said.

With President Obama expanding government at an unprecedented rate - and pushing the national deficits to unseen heights - Mr. Gingrich said the country won't toe the line for long. "You have a very left-wing government trying to impose its will on essentially a center-right country," he said.

Several polls in the past week have reported a decline in public support for Mr. Obama's economic stimulus and other spending measures, reinforcing Mr. Gingrich's claim that a bolder conservative agenda could have widespread appeal in next year's midterm elections.

A Washington Post/ABC News poll released Monday found support for the stimulus program in states that were decided by fewer than 10 percentage points in the 2008 presidential election had fallen to 50 percent, down from 63 percent at the 100-day point in his presidency. That poll also found that a 54 percent majority of Americans - including 61 percent of independents - favored "smaller government with fewer services" over "larger government with more services."

Notably, a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll published last week found that 58 percent of its respondents said Congress and the president should focus more on reducing the deficit, "even if it takes longer for the economy to recover."

The former House speaker, who authored the "Contract With America" that helped Republicans win control of Congress just two years after Democrat Bill Clinton won the White House, said rumors of the party's death are premature.

"As a historian, I lived through this in 1965, '66; we gained 47 House seats and swept the governorships. And in 1968, we began 40 years in which no overt liberal could win the presidency," the Georgia Republican said.

Watergate pushed Republicans back down, but by 1980, "the left had collapsed and we elected Ronald Reagan and began a quarter-century of economic growth and the Soviet Union disappeared."

"In 1993, I was the Republican whip, we had lost the presidency, the Democrats were on offense, they were going to give us national health care and the 'Hillarycare' model. They had the largest tax increase in American history. They were going to be social liberals - nirvana had arrived - and for the first time in 40 years, we swept control of the House," he said.

As to whether the Republican Party can attract moderates and even center-left members, Mr. Gingrich, as he did several times during the hourlong interview, quoted former President Reagan.

"As Reagan would have told them, 'You can be a majority, in which case you're going to have arguments set inside the room, or you can stay a minority. But what you can't do is have a majority that's only people you understand and agree with.' "

Mr. Gingrich made no excuses for a Republican Party that often appears to be in disarray, but said the massive agenda liberals are pushing through makes crafting a cohesive message difficult.

"The biggest characteristic of the left-wing machine that is currently running the city ... is that they're doing so many destructive things in parallel simultaneously that it disperses the opposition. Their goal, almost like Lyndon Johnson in '65, is to try to ram through as much bad stuff as they can as fast as they can before the natural conservatism of the country rebounds and rights the system," he said.

Still, he said "conservatives in general and Republicans in particular" should focus on what he called "a massive tax on investments, a massive tax increase on energy, a massive tax increase to pay for government-run health care and a dramatic expansion of the power of politicians and bureaucrats."

He urged Republicans to key in on issues like the energy bill, set to come to the House floor on Friday, which calls for the government to cap greenhouse-gas emissions, leading to increased prices Americans would pay on energy. Mr. Gingrich called it "the largest energy-tax increase in history."

"Every person who votes for this energy tax ought to expect an opponent next year because this is such a clearly irrational bill to pass in the middle of this kind of unemployment," he said.

Mr. Gingrich has been raising his profile of late, weighing in on issues such as the closing of the detention facility for terrorism suspects at the U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Mr. Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court; and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's assertion that the CIA lies to Congress "all the time."

He has also become somewhat the de facto leader of the Republican Party - when Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin pulled out of an appearance at the Republican congressional fundraiser in Washington this month, Mr. Gingrich stepped in.

When asked who is emerging as a Republican leader able to step up onto the national stage, Mr. Gingrich cited not Mrs. Palin, but Wisconsin Rep. Paul D. Ryan, "a brilliant young guy," and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, whom he called "an amazing leader."

Mr. Jindal, he noted, will be around for a long time: "He will be John McCain's age in 2044."

The former speaker also defended former President George W. Bush, saying that after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, "He responded with an almost single-minded focus to try to design strategies and institutions that would defend this country."

"And he left his successor a seven-year record of having stopped every terrorist effort. And his successor had better get very serious about all this civil libertarian stuff that is going to rapidly make this country more vulnerable."

I think this is a good idea of the kind of "reform" we'll see from the upper tiers of the GOP over the next few years.

Pay attention as well to the last paragraph:

"And he left his successor a seven-year record of having stopped every terrorist effort. And his successor had better get very serious about all this civil libertarian stuff that is going to rapidly make this country more vulnerable."

Gingrich's answer to war and big government = more war, more big government.

People should not be afraid of their governments -
governments should be afraid of their people.

In times of change, the Patriot is a scarce man; brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a Patriot.

ack pew...He was trumpeting the party line trash at us in delegate meetings in GA. It was directed towards RP dissenters who might show any problems in the "family" of republicans.

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave. - Dakota

Go Forward With Courage

When you are in doubt, be still, and wait;
when doubt no longer exists for you, then go forward with courage.
So long as mists envelop you, be still;
be still until the sunlight pours through and dispels the mists
-- as it surely will.
Then act with courage.

"I am just saying that we need to be honest about the fact that we are transferring from the United States at a practical level significant authority to a new organization. This is a transformational moment. I would feel better if the people who favor this would just be honest about the scale of change.... This is not just another trade agreement. This is adopting something which twice, once in the 1940s and once in the 1950s, the U.S. Congress rejected. I am not even saying that we should reject it; I, in fact, lean toward it. But I think we have to be very careful, because it is a very big transfer of power."

-- Congressman Newt Gingrich in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, before Congressional approval of US membership in the WTO in 1994.

Inspired by US Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, this site is dedicated to facilitating grassroots initiatives that aim to restore a sovereign limited constitutional Republic based on the rule of law, states' rights and individual rights. We seek to enshrine the original intent of our Founders to foster respect for private property, seek justice, provide opportunity, and to secure individual liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

Inspired by US Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, this site is dedicated to facilitating grassroots initiatives that aim to restore a sovereign limited constitutional Republic based on the rule of law, states' rights and individual rights. We seek to enshrine the original intent of our Founders to foster respect for private property, seek justice, provide opportunity, and to secure individual liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

After seeing this I have doubts of those that tell me to stick with the Republican party to rebuild it from within when the reality is this is what our efforts will result in?

We really need someone with money to buy a news channel or start a new one to combat FNC promoting this guy for President over the next 4 years. Otherwise he will likely be the defacto choice the media will ram down the peoples throats. Conservative radio could use some help also to combat the likes of phony Conservatives like Hannity and Limbaugh that talk a good game but always support big government Candidates and RINOS. These clowns will be promoting Gingrinch also.

Sounds like a great plan for the elite. Let Obama sink the economy more and grab control of banks, auto industry, healthcare, energy, etc., then pass this power on to a neocon who starts WWIII and claims the war will save the economy.

Inspired by US Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, this site is dedicated to facilitating grassroots initiatives that aim to restore a sovereign limited constitutional Republic based on the rule of law, states' rights and individual rights. We seek to enshrine the original intent of our Founders to foster respect for private property, seek justice, provide opportunity, and to secure individual liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

The only way the R can beat Obama in 2012 is to put up a small government candidate... the problem that they had with someone like McCain is that there was no debate on whether or not the government should be doing more things and taking away more freedoms because both sides were agreeing on it. There needs to be a candidate like the good doctor that can argue about more fundamental issues like whether or not the government can tell you how to live your life or whether issues like gay marriage should even BE issues at the federal level. Newt as a candidate will be a complete failure.

I got Newt's Book "Real Change" from the library yesterday. I'll give it a chance, but my hopes aren't high.

The only real change that Gingrich is interested in is in your pocket.

Gingrich is the DEFINITION of an establishment neo-con Republican.

As far as rights are concerned, Americans need to stop "giving a chance" to their politicians...because all that happens is that they use that chance as an opportunity to push a globalist agenda that also makes them a lot of money. It's past time the American people develop a zero-tolerance policy for government.

People should not be afraid of their governments -
governments should be afraid of their people.

In times of change, the Patriot is a scarce man; brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a Patriot.

I got Newt's Book "Real Change" from the library yesterday. I'll give it a chance, but my hopes aren't high.

Look at the mans record. The book is meaningless when his actions prove otherwise. If you want to read something go read the Welfare Reform Act that he is responsible for that despite the name eliminated the privacy rights of all working Americans by creating a national tracking system of ALL employed individuals. All employers are required by law to submit employees to it.

You do not need a national ID card when one already exists with this database thanks the Newt. This is just scratching the surface with this man.

Sounds like a great plan for the elite. Let Obama sink the economy more and grab control of banks, auto industry, healthcare, energy, etc., then pass this power on to a neocon who starts WWIII and claims the war will save the economy.

+1 ... all part o' the plan.

I'm a moderator, and I'm glad to help. But I'm an individual -- my words come from me. Any idiocy within should reflect on me, not Ron Paul, and not Ron Paul Forums.

"Mr. Chairman, we have in this Country one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Banks, hereinafter called the Fed. The Fed has cheated the Government of these United States and the people of the United States out of enough money to pay the Nation's debt. The depredations and iniquities of the Fed has cost enough money to pay the National debt several times over. -Cong. Louis McFadden

Newt represents the worst of what did the party in. Folding when the chips were down on the bailout. Republicans like him handed the keys to the democrats with the challenge "See if you can beat that for a one time spending bill!" The democrats gleefully took up that chalenge and we are where we are today because of it.

War; everything in the world wrong, evil and immoral combined into one and multiplied by millions.

Inspired by US Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, this site is dedicated to facilitating grassroots initiatives that aim to restore a sovereign limited constitutional Republic based on the rule of law, states' rights and individual rights. We seek to enshrine the original intent of our Founders to foster respect for private property, seek justice, provide opportunity, and to secure individual liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

The John Birch Society exposed the New World Order socialist named Newt Gingrich, YEARS AGO. In fact, the JBS produced and distributed an entire video about his phony brand of "conservatism", which wasn't really conservatism at all.

We don't need faux conservatives like Newt in 2012.

"This is the real reason the collectivist Left hates religion: Churches as institutions compete with the state for the peopleís allegiance, and many devout people put their faith in God before their faith in the state. Knowing this, the secularists wage an ongoing war against religion, chipping away bit by bit at our nationís Christian heritage."

God I just am amazed at how pathetic these neocon GOP party NWO power brokers are desperately trying to hold on to their power and their military/industrial/banking/media feeding trough. These slugs Know they can no longer win without the growing and savvy libertarian faction, referred to more and more as of late as the "Ron Paul Wing" of the Republican Party. I am enjoying watching them go through their death throes. But it is very important that we withhold our vote from them until there is a rebirth of the Republican Party. Or RP should start a new Republican Party. Call it something like "Republican National Party" or something. Might be very interesting outcomes. Many liberty oriented Republican leaders (Governors, Congress members ) might switch. And maybe voters in droves.

Got a call last night from Newt's stooges. They let me listen to his rant over Obama's bailouts and then asked me if I was familiar with his "12 point plan". At first I thought it was going to be a legitimate poll for guaging republican's interest in current problems. But then they asked me for 100 bucks to support his cause and I said "no thanks".because his 12 points don't even begin to touch on the main problems were in.

I'll bet he's gearing up for a big Presidential bid. Just my 2 cents.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect - Mark Twain

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